Puzzles
by Wolfenden
Summary: A series of oneshots with my favourite Naruto pairings. KankNeji, KakaIru and GaaNaru.
1. KankuroNeji

Hi! Sorry I've not updated my HP corssover fics but i'm going through the HP books to try make sure the fics will be good.

Any way this is just something that came up out of the blue when i was really bored on the train. It's an unusual pairing but one of my favourites.

Let me know if you think i should do something similar for my other Naruto pairings and turn this in to a series of one shots. Check my profile for some of my Naruto pairings.

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He didn't really know what to make of him. He hadn't fought against any one on the Suna team, but both his teammates had and lost. He wonders who would have won if they did fight, his Byakugan against Kankuro's puppets. He thinks he'd like to find out one day.

Neji thinks that Kankuro is pretty strong, but then again he does have Gaara as a brother and Temari is pretty violent too, he's stuck between two siblings who have no qualms about beating him up so he has to be strong. He likes to think he understands a bit when it comes to Kankuro's father, the Kazekage. When he was alive the Kazekage controlled every part of his life, just like Neji is bound to the Main house. Neji wonders if this is why Kankuro became a puppeteer, he needed something in his life that he could control.

Now the Kazekage is dead and Kankuro is learning to stand on his own, could Neji do that some day?

The first time Neji really looked at Kankuro was when his team was added to the group working on the new alliance with Suna. Despite fighting each other in the exam Temari and Tenten hit it off right away, he supposed it was because they were both strong Kunoichi in their own right and their fight had allowed them to respect each other. Lee kept pestering Gaara for a spar so much that many of the group began to worry for his safety but the red hair seemed to have mellowed out since the chunin exams, apparently it was thanks to Naruto who Gaara seemed to hold in high regard.

Since both their teammates were talking that left Kankuro and Neji in each other's company by default. They'd made various small talk to try and prevent an awkward silence, Neji had remembered the puppeteer as being abrasive and patronising. So it was a surprise that he could be so formal, like a prince but he supposed that Kankuro, like himself, had been brought up strictly because of his family's position.

He also remembered Tsunade-sama telling him that the puppeteer had asked about him when they had gone on that mission to retrieve Sasuke, he'd been out of it because of his injuries and only found out later that the Sand siblings had come to help. He didn't know what to think when Tsunade had smirked at him like that when telling him that Kankuro had wanted to know if he would be ok.

"He what?" asked Neji incredulously. Tsunade continued smirking.

"He wanted to know if you would be ok," she told him. "He seemed quite nervous about asking." Neji was really confused.

"But why? I've never even talked to him before." Tsunade had just laughed at him leading him to think that he must be missing something if she seemed to understand.

It was on this visit to Suna that Neji saw Kankuro without his face paint for the first time, it was then he realised that he really did look like he was related to Gaara, under the hat and the paint it hadn't been obvious. That first time he'd gone to knock on Kankuro's door as he'd been instructed the day before so he could have a tour round the village, Kankuro was obviously not ready as he opened the door looking very sleepy dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

When Neji had realised he wasn't wearing his face paint he almost did a double take because to be honest he thought he'd got the wrong room and woken up someone else by accident, that and Kankuro actually was very handsome so he couldn't understand why he hid it under all that paint. His hair was brown compared to Gaara's dark red and he didn't have the black rings round his eyes, but there was no denying that he and Gaara were brothers.

The absence of the paint also allowed Neji to finally notice Kankuro's eyes. They were teal, different from his brother's jade and his sister's aqua, they were the same colour as the seal on his forehead. That had almost given him a heart attack when he saw, he had refused to look him in the eye after that until the puppeteer finally got fed up and forced him to tell him what was wrong. Kankuro had seemed sad until Neji told him he liked having a connection with him, the puppeteer had such a goof grin on his face that it nearly made him laugh even if he couldn't work out why Kankuro was so happy.

It was at the end of the visit to Suna that Kankuro kissed him. Although he'd been intrigued by the puppeteer he hadn't expected him to kiss him, he hadn't shown any inclination to so Neji could honestly say that it had shocked him. That wasn't to say he didn't like it, he had and had told Kankuro so after he'd got over his shock. The other boy's smile had covered his face then and he'd laughed.

"Shut up then and let me kiss you again," he'd said.

So Neji let him kiss him again, determined this time to let Kankuro know that the feelings were reciprocated. That was when he knew what Tsunade had seen that he hadn't. When it was time for the Konoha group to leave the next morning Neji had been a bit sad because he knew it was unlikely that he would see Kankuro again any time soon. It seemed unfair that they should have to be apart after discovering they liked each other, still Kankuro had said goodbye with a smirk on his face that made him slightly wary.

He found out why he'd been smirking a few months later when Gaara was made Kazekage and the Sand siblings came to Konoha to officially present Gaara to Tsunade as the new Kazekage. Neji hadn't known anything about it until Kankuro suddenly appeared behind him in the middle of a training session with his team and hugged him round the waist. The look on his teammates faces would have been priceless if Neji wasn't mortified at being held like this in front of them, oddly enough Tenten seemed to get really giddy over it. When Kankuro explained why he was in Konoha the rest of Neji's team had rushed to the Hokage's tower to greet Gaara and Temari trying to be subtle about leaving Neji and Kankuro alone. He hadn't realised the implications of Gaara being Kazekage until Kankuro said he'd be asking for a lot of mission to Konoha from now on and that Neji had better ask for a lot to Suna. They could still meet each other, they didn't have to push their feelings aside and Kankuro had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure Gaara would let him do this.

Why on earth did he care so much for a shinobi from another country? Why chose such a hard path to follow? He certainly wasn't expecting Kankuro to tell him it was because he thought that Neji was the only person worth pursuing to that extent. That statement made him more happy than he'd like to admit, then he thought the clan would definitely not approve. But did that matter, Naruto had promised to help with his clan and his uncle had become a lot nicer now and Hinata would certainly encourage him. Neji was actually happy, maybe he should start learning to stand on his own too.

Neji wonders if Kankuro's eyes are why he'd become so drawn to him, that and the fact that the other boy is so hard to read, he never knows what to expect with Kankuro but he does know that he's glad he did notice the puppeteer. He thinks Kankuro is a puzzle he's willing to spend the rest of his life trying to solve, he may not believe in fate any more but he likes to think that the two of them were suppose to be like this.

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Kankuro's first opinion of Neji was that he was strong but boy was he an arrogant stuck up bastard, he doesn't dare tell Neji that he also thought he looked quite like a girl. The next time he really thought of him was in the finals for the chunin exam, he was half panicking because they were suppose to be invading but he still managed to pay attention to Neji's match. He remembers being ashamed at being glad Neji got so hurt because it meant he wouldn't be able to get involved in the invasion, which should keep him from being killed.

When they'd run back to Suna after the failed invasion he wondered if he'd ever get to see the Hyuuga boy again, if nothing else he'd like to test that Byakugan against his puppets, he didn't think Neji would be adverse to the idea. When Gaara had announced that they were going to help Konoha get back the Uchiha brat who had decided to run off he wondered if Neji was part of the group trying to get him back. When he went to help Kiba and found out Neji was part of the group and was off fighting one of the Sound four somewhere he found it very hard to not go running off to find him, he was a shinobi he had to do his mission first which at this moment was helping Kiba, besides the white eyed boy probably wouldn't appreciate being rescued.

When they all managed to get back to Konoha minus Sasuke, he immediately tried to find Neji only to discover he was in intensive care and unable to have visitors. In the end they couldn't stay long enough to be able to see Neji or Naruto who had also been serious injured. Gaara had asked to be informed when about Naruto as soon as possible and turned back to Suna, Kankuro hesitated for a moment before turning to Tsunade who had come to see them off.

"Erm… Neji is going to make it right?" he'd asked.

He almost wished he hadn't because Tsunade looked so surprised that he'd asked about the Hyuuga and didn't seem to know how to respond. She told him he found be fine, Neji wasn't one to give up and leave things to fate anymore. He had to except that as an answer and was relieve a week later when Gaara received a letter telling them that everyone who had gone on the mission was well on the way to recovery.

The next time he saw Neji was totally unexpected, his team had come with the group working on the alliance between their two villages at the last minute so it wasn't until they got there that they knew they were coming. When Temari went to talk to the girl on the team and the spandex boy pestered Gaara he realised that left him and Neji to talk to each other.

He was a bit embarrassed to know that despite admiring the Hyuuga and respecting him they'd never actually talked, it was probably time to rectify that. It was awkward at first since they had no idea what to say to each other, he was just grateful that Neji was making an attempt as well otherwise he really didn't know what he would have done. He was glad to discover that Neji wasn't as uptight any more thanks to Naruto, seriously that blonde was just a walking miracle. They'd ended up getting along quite well and had agreed to meet up so Kankuro could give him a tour of the village, he really hadn't expected to sleep in though.

He could tell something was up when he opened the door sleepily and Neji just stared at him in silence, he never told him but his mouth was hanging open ever so slightly. At first he figured that he was staring because it was the first time he'd actually _seen_ him, as in been able to see what he looked like under the paint and the hat. He'd just grinned sheepishly and gone to get dressed, it wasn't until later in the day when he realised Neji hadn't looked him in the eye all day. Since they'd been getting on so well he couldn't understand why he suddenly wouldn't look at him. Eventually he'd had enough and just told him to say why he wouldn't look at him.

"Your eyes." He didn't know what he was expecting but that sure wasn't it. Kankuro watched fascinated as Neji blushed slightly and reached up to touch his forehead making him frown.

"Your eyes are the same colour as my seal." The puppeteer has winced at that, he'd heard about the seal in Neji's match against Naruto and was sad that he reminded him of something that caused him pain.

"It just shocked me," murmured the Hyuuga. "But… it's nice to know something connects us." To say Kankuro was shocked was an understatement but he also felt ridiculously happy that Neji was glad to have some form of a connection to him.

That was when he realised he'd fallen in love with the Hyuuga.

Because he didn't know what Neji felt he played chicken and didn't end up kissing him until their last night in Suna. Neji was so shocked he thought he'd been wrong and that he really didn't like him at all. When Neji told him he was just shocked and didn't mind Kankuro kissing him he'd just laughed and kissed him again, after all he was leaving tomorrow and who knew when he'd get this chance again. He knew he was smirking when the Konoha group left the next morning and that it had deeply confused Neji. He just couldn't wait to surprise the white-eyed boy in a few months.

Neji reaction when he did show up in Konoha was priceless, ok so he'd just shown up out of no where and hugged him in front of him team but Neji looked shell shocked which was to say nothing of his team's reactions. He was glad when the others finally left leaving the two of them alone, even if Neji did look like he wanted to seal all his tenketsu which he'd heard was very painful.

Kankuro cheerfully told him about Gaara being Kazekage meaning he'd be asking for a lot of missions so he could come visit him, to his delight Neji full out blushed and his mouth turned up in a small smile. He looked slightly worried for a moment as if thinking about something unpleasant before smiling determinedly. Then Neji kissed Kankuro without being prompted and said he would request missions to Suna as often as possible too.

Kankuro thinks that Neji is a bit of a puzzle. He's really good at hiding his feelings so it makes guessing really fun and with some really interesting results. He remembers when Neji told him he liked his eyes because it made him feel like they connected due to the colour being the same as his seal, Kankuro loves Neji's eyes. Sometimes he wonders if that Byakugan of his can see into his soul because it sure feels like it sometimes. He must like what he sees any way because he agreed to be with him, he wouldn't mind waking up to those eyes every morning knowing that they saw _him._

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Yeah, so no idea where this came from but i like it.

There really isn't a lot written for this pairing because its so unusual but i just read a story with this pairing one day and fell in love.

Please review and let me know what you think about doing some of my other Naruto pairings.


	2. KakashiIruka

Hey decided to make this a series of one shots about my fav pairingd from Naruto.

This one is Kakashi and Iruka.

Let me know what you think.

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Umino Iruka thought Hatake Kakashi was an excellent shinobi… but he sucked at life. The man could kill an entire squadron without breaking a sweat and infiltrate an enemy base without hesitation, but come to interacting with someone he liked? Absolutely hopeless. Of course that was part of what made him so endearing because he constantly tried to be better as if he was trying to prove to people that he did deserve Iruka, even if he did act like a five year old with a crush in the beginning and could be insanely possessive and was prone to jealousy… never mind. Lets just say his social interactions left a lot to be desired.

Iruka remembered seeing Kakashi quite often in the mission room before they'd officially been introduced to each other, the silver haired man was nearly always slouched against a wall with his orange book. He also handed in some of the worst reports ever, honestly why was it so hard to just describe what happened on a mission without doodling all over it or spilling something on it or letting his dogs chew it or… we'll just leave it at that. Needless to say he had never in Iruka's time working at the mission desk handed in an 'acceptable' report.

He knew the man's past, who in the village didn't? He felt a connection to him in the fact that at some point in their lives both of them had felt that the only ones they loved were all on the memorial stone, sometimes he thinks Kakashi still feels like that or at least feels guilty that he isn't on there too. It's because he knows Kakashi's past has been so harsh that he always tries not to be so hard on the man because he's sure that eventually one day he will snap and he really doesn't want to see that. He wonders if Kakashi knows about his own past, Iruka's life isn't as widely broadcast as Kakashi's but he likes to think that he took the time to find out when he became interested in the chunin.

They didn't really become friends until after that horrible chunin exams were Kakashi was so cold to him about his protests against the rookie nine participating, he admits that he was out of line and that Kakashi may have been right… well he'll admit it as long as the man doesn't hold it above him forever. With Sandaime dying and Sasuke having been targeted by Orochimaru he was sure Kakashi was under a lot of stress and he didn't want to add to it by being cold to him from their argument.

It had started because he noticed the jounin didn't really socialise unless someone dragged him somewhere, Iruka wasn't much better himself but he had enough sense to do something before he was dragged anywhere. So he decided that he would be a friend to Kakashi because honestly, the silver haired man needed a friend… well at least one not as weird as Gai and that could talk to him about non-shinobi things without sounding completely ridiculous.

It didn't develop into anything deeper until Sasuke left and Naruto went on his training trip with Jiraya. With Sakura being the only member of team seven left in Konoha and her being apprenticed to Tsunade Kakashi didn't have a team to teach anymore and Iruka was feeling the gap from Naruto not being there to bug him any more. They'd started spending a lot more time together after that and one day the copy-nin had just out of the blue asked him on a date. Obviously Iruka was shocked because like the rest of the village he'd assumed Kakashi was straight because of those books of his, that and he didn't know what made him think Iruka wouldn't punch him for asking… stupid genius.

It had been a nice date, Kakashi hadn't been perverted at all, big shock, and they'd really enjoyed their time together. Iruka had actually been really happy that he'd said yes, he knew he was attracted to the jounin, there were very few who weren't, but he'd never thought Kakashi would find him attractive. The one date became two and the next thing he knew half of things were at Kakashi's house and he was waiting there for the other man to come home from missions.

He remembered the first time Kakashi properly kissed him because not only was it breath taking but it was the first time he got to see Kakashi's face. He thought it was kind of cute because the silver haired man actually seemed a bit nervous but then again Iruka didn't know of anyone that knew what his face looked like so it was a pretty big deal that he'd shown him. The jounin was definitely handsome and Iruka knew he'd have more people chasing after him if they knew what he looked like, but he still didn't understand why he hid his face in the first place. So he asked.

"I just did one day," he replied. "First to hide my emotions to make it easier being a shinobi, then to stop people from seeing my father's face on me. Eventually it just stuck and was fun to drive people up the wall trying to find out what I looked like." Typical that the original reasoning would be so serious to only become a method used to tease people, that definitely sounded like something Kakashi would do.

Iruka thought it was really sweet when Kakashi asked if he could introduce him to his summons, his pack of nin-dogs. He understood it was important because they were what he considered his family now that everyone else was gone and he really wanted them to get along with Iruka. Luckily it turned out there were no worries there as Pakkun, who'd helped the chunin in the past had told the entire pack about him and they'd decided they liked him before they even met him. The relief on Kakashi's face was almost comical if Iruka hadn't known how important it was, the pack was a big part of his life and if they'd hadn't liked Iruka who knows what would have happened. Luckily they did and always joked that they liked him better than Kakashi because Iruka knew how to give belly rubs and to be honest he spoilt them rotten.

Naruto eventually came back from his trip and Kakashi had begged him not to tell the blonde about their relationship until he was settled in. His words were, and I quote: please don't tell him until he settles so I don't have to spend the first few weeks running from him for dating you. I'd rather tell him in the middle of mission so he can let out his anger on the enemy instead. Iruka made him sleep on the couch that night.

It was a little awkward that when he did find out Naruto bugged Iruka for ages asking him what Kakashi looked like under his mask and that he refused to leave Iruka's side for days to make sure Kakashi wasn't 'being perverted to his favourite sensei'. It got old very quickly and Iruka quickly explained that he was very happy with Kakashi and he'd been in a relationship with him long enough to know exactly what the jounin was like and no, he didn't need Naruto to stay with him at night to protect him from the pervert, he could do that very well himself thank you very much.

When Akatsuki attacked Konoha he'd been so busy trying to stay alive but he'd always managed to keep an eye on Kakashi's chakra levels while he fought. He'd almost got himself killed when he felt the other man's chakra disappear, all he could think was that he couldn't be dead, he's just out of range that's all. He knew in his heart that that wasn't true, Kakashi really was dead.

When he felt his chakra flair back to life once the fight was over he cried with relief and immediately went to find him. The copy-nin being injured didn't stop Iruka throwing himself at him when he found him, he just buried his face in his shoulder and cried while Kakashi held him tight as they lay on the floor. He was never letting this man out of his sight ever again.

Iruka thinks that despite knowing him so well Kakashi still puzzles him sometimes. His whole being is an enigma and the man loves to confuse people, the minute Iruka thinks he's got him figured out he does something that confuses him all over again. The chunin thinks it's because of the contrast between the copy-nin, the shinobi part of him and just Kakashi, the man who is only human. Kakashi is a man of contradictions and opposites but really Iruka thinks he wouldn't have it any other way because that's what makes loving him so worthwhile.

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Kakashi is a genius, he knows this because he's always been one, so he can't figure out why it took him so long to notice Iruka. It might have been because in terms of being a shinobi his accomplishments didn't stand out, he wasn't in the bingo book, he wasn't a jounin and the man hardly went on missions because he taught at the academy. But Kakashi did realise later that Iruka was special in so many other ways.

He was gifted with children, his determination and bravery was just insane, and the man just never backed down or gave up if he thought he was doing the right thing. Iruka was also much better with people than Kakashi could ever be and everyone seemed to like the chunin despite that infamous temper of his that made every jounin scared when he was on duty at the mission desk.

It took until Iruka stood up to him in front of everyone about the chunin exams to make Kakashi realise all this and actually see him and when he did the chunin intrigued him like nothing else. Kakashi admits that his social skills aren't that great so he probably drove Iruka up the wall in the beginning with teasing and quite frankly childish behaviour, it wasn't his fault he'd never had a childhood so his social interactions were lacking. Once Kakashi decided that he was basically a bit obsessed with Iruka he snuck into the records room to read the chunin's personal file, which admittedly seemed a bit over the top but damn it he didn't want everyone to know he was so interested, he'd probably never hear the end of it.

What he read surprised him but at the same time it didn't, sure Iruka wasn't a jounin and didn't seem that impressive but his private files told a bit of a different story. The main idea of it was that Iruka was fully capable of becoming a jounin and possibly ANBU but the man just had no desire to do so, he'd much rather teach and make sure that their future shinobi would be prepared. In Kakashi's mind that was more inspiring than what some of the 'high' ranking shinobi did, including himself.

He loves driving the chunin up the wall with his 'unacceptable' reports and his tardiness but honestly he can't help it, the man just looks so hot when he's angry, at least his life is never boring with Iruka because he won't let Kakashi push him around. The jounin thinks it's a shame that it took his team disbanding for him to decide to pursue Iruka… he just didn't want to let the man slip through his fingers without trying to even reach him, he would have regretted that for the rest of his life. Still the surprise on Iruka's face when he did ask out the first time had been priceless, he'd actually checked his temperature and asked if he had a fever! Once he realised Kakashi was being serious the other man had blushed so red but at least he agreed.

The silver haired jounin liked catching people of guard so he'd been a complete gentleman on their first date which he knows surprised Iruka but he was glad he'd made that decision because it relaxed Iruka completely and had allowed the both of them to enjoy the date. He'd just have to make up for it in all their future dates… maybe he could the school teacher to try out some scenes from Icha Icha, that would be… interesting. Actually maybe it wasn't such a good idea that he read so much porn, it made keeping his mind out of the gutter around Iruka very hard especially that reoccurring fantasy about doing it in the teacher's classroom.

He can honestly say that finding the teacher in his living room asleep waiting for him to come back from a mission had filled him with such warmth he thought his heart would explode. There was just something so fulfilling knowing that he had someone waiting for him to return now. Kakashi hopes that Obito, Minato-sensei and everyone else he knows on the memorial is happy for him, he stopped being the stuck up bastard Obito always said he was and he's finally found a precious person again that he promises to protect just like Minato-sensei had always protected everyone.

He'll admit to being nervous the first time he kissed Iruka properly, as in not through his mask. It had been so long since he'd let someone see his face that he didn't know how Iruka would react… he didn't think he was bad looking. When he finally did kiss him Iruka apparently didn't think he was bad looking either by the look on his face. That first kiss had been an eye opener because it wasn't until then that he realised just how much he felt for the chunin, he couldn't remember ever feeling that much emotion swirling in him other than when he kissed Iruka and the teacher was so innocent! Kakashi made sure he soon got over that, it was a little hard not to when you were dating someone that read as much porn as he did.

Iruka meeting his summons had been crucial. For a long time they had been all he had to call family and it just wouldn't do for them not to get along with Iruka. He must have had a brain dead moment because he'd completely forgotten that Iruka had already met Pakkun when he lent the pug to him for a mission a while ago, as such the little dog had already told the entire pack about the chunin. It certainly made things easier because they'd already decided they liked him, sometimes he thought they liked Iruka more than they liked him but that could just be because he spoiled them rotten.

They were shinobi and Kakashi knew this meant that they both carried scars, some more painful than others, his own from Obito's eye still hurt him sometimes from the emotions. He hadn't been prepared though when he saw the huge scar on Iruka's back from when Mizuki threw a huge shuriken at him, Kakashi knew the man had scars, he had one across his face after all, but the one on his back was painful for the jounin to see. It showed him just how close he'd come to never getting to know Iruka and being able to have a life like this, if Mizuki weren't locked up he'd have gone and killed the bastard although he heard Naruto did a pretty good job of beating him up the night it happened. Eventually he worked up the courage to ask Iruka if the scar still hurt him.

"I guess so," he'd replied. "Most of the time I don't notice it but sometimes when I worry about Naruto it hurts, I got it protecting him so I just think of it as a reminder of how far I can be willing to save someone I love." Then he'd smiled. "Maybe some day I'll have one for you, hopefully you'll never get in that position though." That had left Kakashi speechless for the first time in his life.

Kakashi hadn't actually thought of the consequences of his relationship with Iruka until Naruto came back from his training trip with Jiraya, the blonde was incredibly protective of his academy sensei and had often said that he didn't like perverts which he knew Kakashi was. Asking Iruka to not tell Naruto straight away had been the closest the copy nin had ever come to begging, which might have seemed over the top but he really wasn't too keen to be the practice target for what ever the Sannin had been teaching the boy while he was away. He was really gratefully when he did find out during a mission that there were plenty of missing nin for him to take out his frustrations on even if he did bug them for weeks after about it claiming he needed to protect Iruka from Kakashi's perverseness. Cheeky brat.

He'd almost had a heart attack when Pain appeared in front of Iruka when Akatsuki attacked, he didn't want to lose another precious person, never again. He'd quickly led the fight away from the chunin in the hope that he wouldn't get caught up in the fight, unfortunately he realised as the fight went on that his own chances of coming out this alive were slim.

Meeting his father in that… waiting place had been so strange. He was glad he got some answers and that he could let his father know he forgave him but he was even happier when he realised he was going back to the real world, Iruka would have killed him if he hadn't come back and he didn't want the chunin to be upset. He realised that Iruka loved him as much as he did the chunin when he woke and the man tackled him crying in to his shoulder, it was a very warm feeling knowing that someone would miss him this much when he was gone.

Kakashi is glad he's still alive because he thinks it will take his entire life to truly understand Iruka. The man is so strong but his open heart and show of emotions goes against what a shinobi should be, he thinks he prefers it this way though because it means he always knows that Iruka loves him even if he can't figure him out the rest of the time.

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There you go hope you liked it, took me forever to write for some reason.

Thanks for reading and please review.

Next one shot will probably be Gaara and Naruto i just love those two!


	3. GaaraNaruto

**Hey read a lot of GaaNaru fanfics recently and was inspired to continue this series of oneshots with a GaaNaru chapter!**

**This is one of my favourite pairing ever, i can't get enough of them, they're so cute!**

**Hope you like it, as i said it's just a oneshot one my interpretation of their relationship.**

**Enjoy!  
**

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Naruto can vividly remember when he first met Gaara. He was creepy, scary and to be honest… crazy. He knows it wasn't exactly the red head's fault, who wouldn't be a bit crazy when they've never slept for fear of a racoon demon eating away their mind? So when they had a first meeting like that part of him wonders how he ever fell in love with him, but he knows deep down that it was that intrinsic connection from them both being Jinchuuriki.

It took a while to feel comfortable around Gaara because of the whole helping to invade Konoha and having to fight him when he let Shukaku take over. Still there's nothing quite like bonding over a fight and Naruto thinks it was a first for Gaara since he'd killed every other person he'd come up against before. Naruto is actually quite proud that he beat Gaara, ok they were twelve years old and that doesn't seem like much of a fight, but add in to it that they're both Jinchuuriki and have access to a shit load of chakra and both of them are determined to win? That's a bit more impressive.

Gaara always smiles slightly when they talk about that fight, it's a fond memory for both of them despite how terrifying it was at the time, there's something deeply horrifying to fight someone that represent everything you could have become if you'd chosen a different path and Naruto always remembers with fear that first meeting when Gaara seemed so scary and inhuman.

The blonde's only regret about meeting Gaara is that they hadn't met sooner, even though he'd hadn't known he was a Jinchuuriki for long he knows he would have still recognised the look in Gaara's eyes if they'd met sooner. It saddens him that they spent the first twelve years of their life mostly alone and not having someone to understand.

Naruto was actually giddy when he found out he was Gaara's first friend, it made him remember so many childish dreams of finding a friend that would just understand him, and Gaara did after he beat it into him that he wasn't a monster. Being Gaara's first friend made him feel really important and special knowing that he holds a place in the red head's heart that no one else can take.

Although he calls Sasuke his best friend and all that, he thinks that Gaara might have been his first friend too, he'd never been able to understand someone else so well and as quickly as he did with Gaara so in a way he thinks Gaara was his first friend because he was the first person he understood without words.

It was hard to describe the connection they felt as fellow Jinchuuriki, it wasn't something they could describe to help others understand, it just was. Part of why Naruto feels so close to Gaara is because no one else can ever understand how it felt in the early years of his life and the hardships he still faces. The burden of being a human sacrifice is hard but he thinks that together it's a lot easier to bear.

When Gaara showed up to help them bring back Sasuke he was surprised, he hadn't been sure he'd got through to the red head in their fight but when he showed up he knew he had. He still doesn't know if Gaara somehow knew to come or whether it was luck but he's glad he came and that he's safe in the knowledge that he will always come to help him.

Gaara was one of the people Naruto had constantly thought about during his training trip with Jiraya, there was just something that fascinated him, he wonders if its because Gaara was the only other Jinchuuriki he knew. It found it really strange at first because everyone else he thought of was from Konoha and he knew quite well, Gaara was from Suna and he didn't really know him even if he did understand him.

He knows in his heart that it was during his training trip that he somehow fell in love with the red head. After only two real meetings, one of which had been a fight, and so much time apart, Naruto had somehow fallen in love with a boy that scared him at the same time as comforting him.

Their first proper meeting in years wasn't full of confessions and sweet promises, neither of them were like that and both had suffered so much from love, but Naruto had never expected their meeting to be after he'd helped bring the other boy back to life after Akatsuki had kidnapped him. It definitely wasn't the reunion he'd hoped for.

He isn't ashamed to admit that he cried when they found Gaara's body and that he cried later that night in his room with relief when it finally sunk in that Gaara was back and that he was alive. He crept into the Kazekage's room in the dead of night despite knowing he would still be awake and just sat on his bed staring at him. He was so glad when Gaara didn't kick him out and just let him stay watching him read. Eventually he worked up his nerve to speak.

"Are you ok?" he asked. Gaara looked up at him and nodded making him smile slightly. "I'm glad… uh sorry I came into your room… I was just so scared that you would disappear again," he mumbled picking at the covers. Gaara took hold of his hand gently.

"I'm not going anywhere," he told him. "And I know that if I do you'll always find me again."

Naruto had burst into tears again and thrown himself at the Kazekage wrapping his arms around his neck in a hug sobbing into his shoulder. In retrospect he probably shouldn't have done that, Gaara was still recovering and he was still leery of touch, ingrained after years of hatred, but Naruto just wanted to _feel_ that he was there and thankfully Gaara let him. T

hat night Naruto kissed Gaara for the first time, too relieved that he was there to think of the consequences.

Of course he did think of the consequences later and was a little bit jumpy around the red head for a while. He's just grateful that Gaara didn't order the sand to attack him or push him away himself. It turned out Gaara had no problems with it and set about showing him just how mutual that feeling was. This made things a little awkward when it came time to leave and Naruto knew he couldn't say goodbye like he wanted to in front of everyone else but luckily Gaara was more level headed than he was, must be from being Kazekage.

Despite being from different villages and Gaara being Kazekage and Naruto aspiring to be Hokage they managed to make their relationship work, Naruto actually thought the sneaking out and hiding was fun although he wasn't sure Gaara agreed. The red head was oddly possessive and quite over protective so he always made sure people knew that no one else could touch him, most people seemed to put it down to Naruto being his best friend.

It didn't come out until Tsunade caught them together when Gaara came over for a diplomatic visit, luckily she just laughed and said that at least the relationship between their two villages would be extremely stable for a long time to come.

Naruto understands Gaara, the pain, the loneliness, and the fear of falling again and because he understands he knows just how to help him and teach him everything that is wonderful in life. To Naruto there's nothing puzzling about Gaara and although he can sometimes surprise him, he knows that there is no one else that knows him better than he does. He thinks that he and Gaara are like two pieces of a puzzle, they don't fit with anyone else, they are just made for each other.

Besides no one else can make Gaara smile or laugh like he does.

* * *

Gaara is a bit ashamed to admit that he didn't notice Naruto the first time they met just before the chunin exams, to be honest he was crazy from Shukaku and just wanted to fight strong opponents and Naruto didn't look strong, everyone always underestimated him and they paid for it every time. Still it always shames him that he was also one of the ones that underestimated him even if he has learned from his mistakes, he wonders how the blonde can love him when he knows what he used to be like.

When Naruto talked to him once he'd beat him it was one of the most intense things he'd ever heard. The blonde was so passionate when he talked and he finally saw that their eyes held the same pain and loneliness that only comes from being a Jinchuuriki. He remembered how Naruto had been all through the chunin exams and what he said now, he knew then that he could change and didn't have to be the monster everyone said he was. And for that Gaara is eternally grateful and feels that nothing will ever be able to repay Naruto what he has done for him.

Although that fight was at a time when he was at his worst he remembers it fondly if only because it marks the moment he began to change into someone he could actually be proud of. Things were a little awkward after Naruto beat him but that connection from knowing they were the same, that they both had suffered the same fate eased the process along. He actually wishes that he'd gone to Konoha sooner so he could have met Naruto but decides that maybe if he had they never would have met any way, he can't change the past and all the years they both spent alone and in pain, but he likes to think that in the future they'll be there for each other.

Despite the pain of having been alone Gaara is glad that Naruto was his first friend, he couldn't have asked for a more understanding person who could teach him all the necessary little things that came with being sociable and acting human. The first step had been actually getting along with his brother and sister, thanks to meeting Naruto he actually has a family now, one which he does his best to protect and include Naruto in.

He remembers going to be Konoha with his siblings to start the negotiations for the new alliance between Suna and Konoha, he'd hoped to meet Naruto there and talk some more now that he could actually think clearly. They'd only just got there to be told that the Uchiha had run off and Naruto was part of the team that had gone to retrieve him. They had immediately gone to help and although it had pained him, he'd stayed behind to help Lee fight Kimimaro so Naruto could go on and stop Uchiha.

It had hurt even more when he saw the state the blonde came back in and they hadn't been able to stay long enough to visit him. But he remembers the look Naruto gave him when he left to stop the Uchiha, that look that said he trusted him completely. No one had ever really trusted him before let alone s as much as Naruto did, it was just another thing that made his fellow Jinchuuriki such an important person to him.

It was almost three years before he next saw Naruto and the circumstances weren't the best, after all who wants their first meeting in years to be as he is brought back to life? He was shocked to the core to discover he actually was alive and not dead so he thinks he can be forgiven for thinking he was seeing things when Naruto was the first person he saw, after all he hadn't seen the blonde in almost three years and now he sees him just after thinking he'd died, it was a bit overwhelming to say the least.

It was a while before he could stop staring at the blonde to look around and find out what had happened. Although he was surprised he was alive he wasn't surprised to find that Naruto had been the one to rescue him despite the years of no contact. Naruto had always been the one to rescue him, now from death and years ago from his own darkness, Naruto was always the one that was there to rescue him, Gaara hoped he could repay the favour one day.

He knew he'd missed the blonde Jinchuuriki, he hadn't seen him since that mission to retrieve the Uchiha and he'd certainly breathed easier once they'd received word that everyone from that mission had survived. Then of course Naruto went off on that training trip with Jiraya and no one had heard word from them in over two years, he'd tried to comfort himself with knowledge that this was Naruto, nothing _ever _kept him down for long and he always kept his word, one day he would go to a Kage meeting and find Naruto sitting in the Hokage's seat.

Seeing Naruto now after all these years had been a shock and he'd had to control himself from doing something uncharacteristic like hugging the blonde idiot or he would have given everyone heart attacks. He realised that Naruto may have missed him just as much as he'd missed him that night when the blonde crept into his room in the dead of the night and quietly sat on him bed staring at him.

While the staring made him slightly uncomfortable he said nothing to deter him and made no move to remove him from his position, part of his realised once he'd glanced at the blonde's face that he was just reassuring himself that Gaara was actually alive and wasn't going to disappear. They sat in silence for a while before Naruto spoke and Gaara reassured him that he wasn't going anywhere and that he was confident the blonde would find him again if he did.

He wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say when Naruto burst into tears and launched himself at the redhead and refused to let go. He'd been so surprised that he hadn't flinched like he usually did when someone suddenly touched him, although part of him thought that it was because it was _Naruto_ that had done it was the reason he didn't flinch. Then he'd been shocked further when the blonde kissed him, quite thoroughly, and then disappeared before he had a chance to speak.

If he had just stayed around he could have told the numbskull that he'd wanted to kiss him for years and that he didn't need to run away damn it! It became quite annoying when Naruto was so jumpy around him the next day and he'd eventually resorted to kidnapping him in a shunshin so he could talk to the idiot. He'd been quite sure to tell him that there was no need to run away.

"Why are you so jumpy?" he asked knowing full well why.

"Erm… I'm waiting for you to kill or at least maim me for kissing you," whispered Naruto hanging his head.

Gaara had rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of the blonde's chin, yanking his face up before proceeding to kiss him just as enthusiastically as the blonde had kissed him the night before.

"And why would I want to kill you when I've waited a long time for this?" he told him. The look on Naruto's face had been priceless and he congratulated himself on finally finding a way to make the blonde shut up.

They made their odd relationship work, although trying to hide it from everyone was rather annoying even if Naruto seemed to find it amusing, having to make excuses every time he disappeared when they went to visit Konoha was not fun especially when his siblings were as paranoid as they were. He did however have fun making sure that everyone knew only he could touch Naruto even if he couldn't say they were in a relationship.

So it wasn't surprising when Tsunade eventually found out about them by walking in on them one day, it had taken Naruto a long time to stop blushing. He never told Naruto but as soon as the news of their relationship started spreading he was visited by Iruka, who he knew cared for Naruto as if he were his father. He dare not tell him that he was scared even for a moment of the chunin when he threatened him not to break the blonde's heart, his only reassurance was that he would never allow himself to do such a thing.

Naruto is the only person he truly understands even if sometimes he does confuse him but he knows that's because he's still fairly new to understanding emotions. Naruto is his fellow Jinchuuriki and his saviour from the pain that comes with it, he likes to think that he helps the blonde with his own burden in return. The two of them just fit together like a puzzle, whether its because they're both Jinchuuriki or not he's not really sure.

But he does know that his heart bursts with pride every time he can make Naruto's smile reach his eyes.

* * *

**Yay, it actually took me longer than i wanted to write this, i don't really know why...**

**Oh well it's done now. **

**Which paring should i do next, KibaShino? SasukeHinata? I might need a lot of inspiration as i don't really read these as much despite me really liking them.**

**Thanks for reading, please review!  
**


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